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service. Please, feel free to speak your mind when you’re with me.” Brooke looked Mammy directly in her dark, kind eyes. “Everything here is strange and unfamiliar to me, nothing like my home in England. I shall need all the assistance you can provide. I do hope you’ll help me,” Brooke paused then pressed on, hoping to find out what she needed to know from the woman. “Who are these people that you spoke of?”
    Mammy hesitated again. “Mebbe I shouldn’t be talkin’.”
    Brooke sat down on one of the two rose-colored chairs and motioned for Mammy to sit in the other.
    “Since I asked you a direct question,” Brooke gently prodded, “I would think it’s your duty to answer. I doubt that would be considered gossiping.”
    Mammy smiled, her eyes twinkling as she nodded. “Well now, Miz Margaret is Master Montgomery’s mama, as you mus’ already know.”
    “I didn’t know her name,” Brooke said.
    “I see.” Mammy nodded. Well, Miz Hesione, she is his fiancée. Dey is up north shoppin’, to be sure. Spendin’ lots o’ money, I guarantee.”
    “I see,” Brooke said, nodding. She wanted to ask what the women were like, but realized Mammy didn’t trust her enough yet to offer that kind of information. “Are they expected back soon?”
    Mammy rose from the chair. “Be back come November ‘cause Miz Margaret wants a Christmas weddin’, and she usually gets what she wants,” Mammy said as she started for the door. “Get your’se’f settled in, you hear. I’ll send a girl up fo’ your maid, to help you unpack.
    “Dinner be rig ’t at eight, yes. Prosper, de cook, now he don’t tolerate no one bein’ late fo’ his table, you hear.” She paused when she reached the door, turned and gave Brooke a final smile. “Welcome to Nawlins.”
    Brooke stared at the closed door as she sank down into the chair, realizing just how tired she was. It had been a very long and tiring day. The intelligent thing to do would be to surrender since she was so vastly outnumbered, but then she was tired and couldn’t think intelligently. The trip, plus the confrontation with Travis had been more wearing than she’d expected.
    He wasn’t like anyone she’d ever known.
    Perhaps she’d just rest for a short while. She needed to have her wits about her on her next encounter with Travis Montgomery.
    And what kind of a cook made the rules anyway, she wondered vaguely as she slumped against the chair. She supposed she’d find out soon enough.
    This was, indeed, a strange household. The housekeeper spoke with an unusual French accent, and the cook made the rules when to eat. And she wouldn’t be at all surprised if a ghost popped out of the wall. He probably wouldn’t want her here either, she thought with a shudder.
    Would she ever fit in here?
    Mammy had offered one interesting tidbit. Travis’s mother and the fiancée wouldn’t be back until late November. That was, indeed, good news. At least, that gave Brooke a little time to work her wiles on Travis and establish herself as the mistress here before the other two women arrived.
    She and Travis only had to be married for a year and then they could go their separate ways. Then if he still wanted Miss Hesione, he would be welcome to her. Brooke would give him up freely. Or maybe it was more like, if Hesione wanted him. That thought made Brooke smile.
    At least for now it was one on one, but she would have to work fast. When Travis’s mama and his intended returned, the odds would change to three against one.
    And Brooke didn’t like those odds at all.

     
    Chapter Four
     
     
    Brooke slowly came awake as the sun’s first rays crept in through the window. Morning seemed to have come much too soon and she wasn’t ready to face the day. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinked several times, and attempted to wake up. Snuggling under the covers, she tried to organize her thoughts before beginning the day.
    The first week had gone by quickly. She’d tried to